Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 16/02/2015
1. Brits Launch Concordia Suit
Britons that were onboard the sunken Costa Concordia cruise ship have decided to file suit against cruise liner Costa Crociere Spa, operator of the ship. The grieved passengers plan to seek damages from Italian court for physical and psychological effects caused by the grounding, including post-traumatic stress disorder, flashbacks, nightmares and a fear of travelling, writes the BBC. The plaintiffs include four British crew members.
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2. Human Rights Nothing to do with MLC
Maritime welfare advocacy organisation Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) has said that seafarers do not have human rights protections under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC). A gap analysis made by the UK-based Human Rights at Sea organisation has found that just two human rights are explicitly mentioned in the convention and that references to human rights in the convention are otherwise implicit, not explicit.
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3. Pay Before you Go
A one million euro security payment is to be lodged before a cargo ship under arrest in Belfast can sail again, it has emerged. The MV Star Viking is at the centre of a contractual dispute over transporting cattle from Ireland to Africa. But the terms of a potential new resolution to the wrangling have been outlined to judges at the Court of Appeal. The vessel’s owners were originally told been told they must provide a 300,000 euro surety before release.
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4. Could US Cash Denial Boosts Somali Crime
Did the US Treasury Department just give a huge recruiting boost to Somali terrorist organization al-Shabaab? Treasury rules intended to combat money laundering have cut off nearly all remittances from the US to Somalia. That will have potentially devastating consequences for many of the 40 percent of Somalis who rely on remittances from relatives abroad. Experts believe this could lead to an increase in crime, such as piracy.
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5. SME Owners Against The Wall
Financing issues have started to tighten the noose in the throats of small and medium-size ship owners, who were already facing problems over the past few years, as more and more traditional banks were exiting the shipping segment. The problems have been aggravated further by a collapsing dry bulk market and an ongoing Euro crisis, said Mr. George Lazaridis, Head of Market Research & Asset Valuations with Allied Shipbroking.
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6. Going Green Means Rethinking and Collaborating
Exploring fuel options is key to developing a solution to this challenge, but it will not be enough on its own. Itâs time for a full technological revolution which will require us to look at whatâs already out there and investigate a completely fresh approach. This will not only allow the shipping industry to reduce its environmental footprint but also create overall efficiencies which are good for ship ownersâ bottom lines – this is according to Lloyd’s Register.
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7. Owners Make Calls for Migrant Action
The Norwegian Shipownersâ Association has made calls for European and international solutions to avoid further humanitarian disasters at sea. In a statement the Association believes that conflict, persecution, poverty and natural disasters are major âpushâ factors behind the mixed migration flows. The wish for a better life in Europe is a major âpull factorâ and leaves the migrants vulnerable to exploitation by human traffickers. And thus into the path of shipping.
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8. Maritime Day Theme Launched
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has launched this yearâs world maritime day with the theme, âMaritime education and Trainingâ. Secretary General of the organization, Mr. Koji Sekimizu told students and staff at the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmo, Sweden that maritime education and training was essential for the long-term sustainability of the sector, both at sea and on-shore.
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9. Nigerian Seafarers Being Overlooked for Oil Projects
Operators in the oil and gas sector are rejecting Nigerian certified seafarers in favour of foreign trained ones. The Secretary of the Institute of Marine Science and Technology (IMarEST), Mr. Alex Peters, said the action of the oil and gas industry operators is not only depriving Nigerian trained seafarers of employment opportunities but he also alleged that these actions contravene the Cabotage Act.
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10. Recruitment Fraudsters Abandon Seafarer Bodies
In what could possibility turn out to be yet another case of recruitment fraud, two Indian seafarers were killed on board an oil tanker off Malaysia earlier this month. Ten days after the mishap, relatives of the two sailors are running desperate to bring their remains to India. The pair were killed on board the oil tanker "MT Care Usia" off Malaysia on February 3. The families, however, donât have enough information about the agency which recruited them.
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Daily news feed from Seacurus Ltd â providers of MLC crew insurance solutions www.seacurus.com
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